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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25072903">Family</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildcard_Rumi/pseuds/Wildcard_Rumi'>Wildcard_Rumi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Akechi Goro and Sakura Futaba Are Half-Siblings, M/M, POV Akechi Goro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:48:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>18,138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25072903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildcard_Rumi/pseuds/Wildcard_Rumi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Goro Akechi and Futaba Sakura are half siblings and they both despise their birth father. But neither of them could have expected that their ticket to revenge would be handed to them by a quiet boy sent to live with them on probation.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>225</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Thanks for helping out, kid. Although, you really didn't need to; you're probably tired after work today, right?"</p><p>The bearded man chuckled thankfully as the chestnut haired boy finished washing up the dishes, gently shaking his hands to dry them.</p><p>"Nonsense, Sojiro! It's the least I can do for you." Goro protested. He really meant it. He owed a lot to Sojiro, he just wished he could do more to help than bring in a little extra money and help out at Leblanc…</p><p>"Alright, alright… Have you had any dinner yet?" Sojiro conceded defeat.</p><p>"Yeah, Sae-san took me for some sushi. It was conveyor belt, but still… Oh! And I brought some back with me for Futaba!" Goro answered, pulling a small box of sushi out of his bag.</p><p>"Thanks, kid. Futaba'll really appreciate that." The bespectacled man smiled gently. Goro simply grinned back as he headed towards the door.</p><p>"Oh, right." Sojiro's voice made him stop and turn back. "That probation kid is coming tomorrow."</p><p>Goro's eyes widened. "Oh, wow, already? Do you think he'll cause any problems?"</p><p>"I dunno… He better not. Ah well… I'm not gonna get too involved so it should be fine."</p><p>"You don't think he'll cause any problems for Futaba, do you?"</p><p>"No. I'm not telling him anything about Futaba."</p><p>Goro frowned with a troubled expression. Futaba still wasn't in the best place mentally… He really didn't want a stranger barging in and making it worse. He shook those thoughts from his mind and smiled at Sojiro.</p><p>"Welp! I'm gonna go give this sushi to Futaba!"</p><p>Sojiro smiled back.</p><p>"Sure thing. Go relax for the evening, Mr. Detective Prince."</p><p>"Ha ha."</p><p>Goro wandered casually through the streets of Yongen, exchanging pleasantries with all the shop owners and housewives that greeted him. As he stepped through the front gate of the Sakura residence, his thoughts wandered back to Sojiro's announcement.</p><p>The delinquent…</p><p>Goro didn't really know anything about them… He knew they were male. He knew they were staying in Tokyo for a year for their probation. He knew they would be attending Shujin Academy. He knew they were arrested for assault…. And that was about it.</p><p>'I just hope he's not too troublesome…' He thought to himself as he wandered upstairs. He softly knocked on the bedroom door.</p><p>"Hey, Futaba… You awake?" He asked, fully aware of how messed up the small girl's sleep schedule was.</p><p>His phone buzzed in his pocket.</p><p>He pulled it out and checked his messages.</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Yeah, I'm awake.]</strong>
</p><p>"Have you slept at all? I know that expansion for that MMO you like came out today…"</p><p>
  <strong>[I had a four hour nap]</strong>
</p><p>"That's good to hear… So, are you doing okay?"</p><p>
  <strong>[More or less]</strong>
</p><p>"More or less?"</p><p>
  <strong>[Yeah. Not great but not terrible.]</strong>
</p><p>"I see… Oh, I've brought some sushi back with me. Do you want me to leave it for you outside the door?"</p><p>
  <strong>[Yeah, thanks.]</strong>
</p><p>Goro heard a quiet groan from inside the room.</p><p>"Do you have another headache?"</p><p>
  <strong>[Yeah…]</strong>
</p><p>"Do you want me to fetch you some painkillers?"</p><p>
  <strong>[That would be great, thanks.]</strong>
</p><p>"No problem. But, maybe try turning the brightness of your monitors a bit? Should put less of a strain on your eyes."</p><p>
  <strong>[I'll do that.]</strong>
</p><p>As Goro walked down the stairs, each floorboard creaking underneath his feet, he turned around and looked back at the door. The door slowly creaked open. A hand snuck out and carefully picked up the box of sushi, pulling into the room before gently shutting the door again.</p><p>A relieved smile enveloped Goro's face at the sight. He had barely seen Futaba for about a year now, so any glimpse of her was reassuring.</p><p> </p><p>They had been living together for eight years now. His mother had been through a lot while she was alive… It just became too much for her to deal with… He didn't blame her for what she did. It wasn't her fault. It was the fault of the heartless bastards that ruined her life. While he was in an orphanage, a friend of his mother's had discovered his existence.</p><p>Her name was Wakaba. It turned out that both women had unfortunate relations with a scumbag by the name of Masayoshi Shido. It was thanks to this encounter that Goro discovered he had a younger sister. After Wakaba took him in, he made it his mission to be the best big brother possible. In fact, in elementary school, he was known as the kid who'd beat up anyone who insulted his sister. Life was fantastic.</p><p>And then it happened.</p><p>Goro had gone to town with Wakaba's close friend, Sojiro Sakura, who was essentially a father figure for the two teens. The two were buying everything Goro would need as he moved up into highschool. It was then that Goro had received a terrible call.</p><p>Wakaba had died.</p><p>She had flung herself in front of a car.</p><p>He couldn't believe it.</p><p>And then those men in black suits read her suicide note. The entire thing pinned the blame on Futaba. The look on her face plagued Goro to this day. He knew it wasn't real. He knew it was a load of bullshit. Instead of being consumed by grief, Goro was consumed with rage. Some monster had the audacity to defile Wakaba's memory and call her daughter a murderer… And he was going to find them. And he was going to make them pay.</p><p>The two went through hell the following few months. Being thrown from family member to family member. He knew they weren't welcome. They all thought of Futaba as the parasite that murdered Wakaba. And Goro wasn't even directly related to them. They never wanted to be lumbered with him. But he put on a brave face for Futaba. The worst was Futaba's uncle. They rarely ate. They weren't allowed to bathe. They had to sleep on the floor. They weren't even given blankets, and had to huddle together for warmth at night.</p><p>Finally, after going through all that pain, they had a saviour. Sojiro. He found out about their treatment. And he was disgusted. He did everything he could to free them from that situation, he even bribed the bastard to hand over custody. But, after a huge ordeal, they were free. Life was much better with Sojiro. It was nice to live with someone who actually cared about their well-being again. But… Futaba… She was understandably traumatized by… Well, everything really… She began suffering from hallucinations and locked herself in her room. And Sojiro and Goro had no idea how to help her… They desperately wanted to… But they just didn't know how…</p><p> </p><p>Goro frowned as he fished the painkillers out of the bathroom cabinet. Was there even anything he could do to help? He felt completely useless… He couldn't do anything to help Futaba… And he couldn't do anything to repay Sojiro… His mind began wandering again as he poured a glass of water for Futaba and carried it back upstairs to her bedroom door. He carefully placed them on the floor and then knocked on the door.</p><p>"Futaba. Here's the painkillers and some water to take them with."</p><p>
  <strong>[Thanks.]</strong>
</p><p>"Do you need anything else?"</p><p>
  <strong>[Nah. I'm pretty well stocked atm.]</strong>
</p><p>"Alright then."</p><p>Goro began to walk off until his phone buzzed again in his hand.</p><p>
  <strong>[I found some more info on Shido earlier.]</strong>
</p><p>His eyes widened. The two of them had been investigating Shido ever since Wakaba died and her research disappeared. They knew he was involved. And they were determined to prove it.</p><p>"Really?! What did you find?!"</p><p>
  <strong>[Not a lot… Just that he took an undocumented trip to a place called Inaba about a month and a half ago. And when he came back, there were some discrepancies in various government funds.]</strong>
</p><p>"Inaba…? Hmm… Why would he go to a quiet countryside town…? And how would that affect the funds…?" Goro muttered thoughtfully, placing his hand on his chin. There had to be some kind of link…</p><p>
  <strong>[Probably another side piece or somethin]</strong>
</p><p>"That's unfortunately a rather likely scenario…"</p><p>
  <strong>[I'll keep looking into it. Have you found out anything about those mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns?]</strong>
</p><p>Goro let out a tired sigh.</p><p>"Nothing much yet… But, considering the aftermath of each incident, I can't help but think that they are linked. I think someone may be inducing them for political gain… It's just a question of who and how…"</p><p>
  <strong>[Fight on, Feather Black…]</strong>
</p><p>"Thanks for the support, Feather Green…"</p><p>An exhausted yawn escaped Goro's mouth.</p><p>"Well… I'm gonna go do some homework and then take a nap… Lemme know if you need anything, okay?"</p><p>
  <strong>[Kk get some rest]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Goro had somehow managed to miss the delinquent for his first two days at Leblanc. He heard him cleaning up the attic during his first evening, but he had other things he needed to do, so he didn't check. The second day, he was busy at work thanks to the terrible train accident caused by a mental shutdown while Sojiro and the delinquent were shut in traffic after visiting Shujin. But on the third morning, the delinquent's first day at Shujin, Goro finally saw him.</p><p>The chestnut haired boy was sat at the counter, enjoying his breakfast and watching the news when he heard footsteps walking down the stairs. He instinctively turned to look. He was greeted by the sight of a tall, scrawny boy.</p><p>His raven hair was fluffy and soft looking. Goro genuinely couldn't tell if it was just unkempt or if it had been styled.</p><p>His onyx eyes were hidden behind a simple pair of black large framed glasses. Although, the glasses couldn't hide the large, dark bags underneath his eyes.</p><p>His skin was almost sickly pale, creating a rather unnerving contrast against his black blazer.</p><p>His body language was extremely tense, his shoulders stiff and his foot tapping nervously against the wood flooring.</p><p>Although, the main thing that caught Goro's attention was the hint of sadness within his eyes. They looked so dull and lifeless…</p><p>This really wasn't what he was expecting at all. When he heard of a delinquent, he kind of imagined someone with dyed, spikey blonde hair, sharp hateful eyes, scars on their face, ripped clothing… Maybe he was visualising the bullies from Feathermen…</p><p>The boy's eyes widened at the sight of someone in the café before it was open.</p><p>"...H-Hello…" He mumbled, avoiding eye contact as he spoke. His voice was much deeper than Goro expected. It was also very soft and quiet… It was quite nice, actually.</p><p>"Hello." Goro pleasantly replied. Was this guy really arrested for assaulting someone? He didn't look like he could even say boo to a bedsheet…</p><p>"Sit down. I made you some breakfast." Sojiro announced, placing a plate in front of the seat next to Goro.</p><p>"O-Oh, thank you…" The boy muttered quietly as he took a seat. Goro noted the look of surprise in the boy's eyes. Was it really so shocking to be given breakfast?</p><p>"But, geez, kid… Couldn't you have at least tried to make yourself presentable for your first day?" The bearded man sighed. The boy glanced down at his uniform worriedly. "No, your uniform's fine… I'm talking about your face… I mean, look at you…"</p><p>The boy frowned down at the floor, his hair hiding his eyes.</p><p>"... Can't sleep. Too loud and too bright…"</p><p>"So, you've barely slept in three days? You should've said something!" Huffed Sojiro. God, this kid was troublesome in every way other than the way he thought he would be!</p><p>"Oh, I know how you feel… I had that problem when I first moved to Tokyo as well… You'll get used to it." Goro remarked, hoping to make this boy feel more at ease. The boy glanced up at him.</p><p>"Um… Who are you?"</p><p>Goro smiled at him.</p><p>"I'm Goro Akechi, Sojiro's adoptive son. So, you'll probably see me around here a lot. Nice to meet you." He answered, extending his hand. The boy looked down at the hand with a shy blush as he lifted his own hand and shook.</p><p>"Ren Amamiya. Nice to meet you too…"</p><p>"'Ren'... Like, the lotus flower?"</p><p>"Yes…"</p><p>"What a pretty name."</p><p>"Thank you…"</p><p>Goro noticed that Ren was extremely polite, to the point where it was unnerving. It felt like he was a robot who only had a handful of possible responses.</p><p>"So, how do you feel about the Tokyo subway system?" He asked, remembering how daunting he found it when he moved to Tokyo. The scowl on Ren's face said everything.</p><p>"Yeah, I know the feeling… What's the subway like where you're from?"</p><p>"Don't have a subway. We mostly just walk or take the bus. Or take the train to get to the nearest city."</p><p>"Wow, you really are a country bumpkin…" Sojiro muttered as he gathered ingredients for another batch of curry.</p><p>"Where are you from?" Asked Goro.</p><p>"Inaba."</p><p>Goro's eyes widened. Inaba! The place that bastard went! He hid his reaction. Sojiro didn't know that him and Futaba were investigating Shido and if he found out, he'd probably kill them.</p><p>"I've only briefly heard of it… Is it known for anything?" He asked as a cover.</p><p>"Steak skewers and a serial murder case." Was Ren's blunt reply. Again, Goro's eyes widened.</p><p>"O-Oh! Right, of course! They're referred to as the Inaba TV Murders, right? That was the case that flung Naoto Shirogane into the spotlight, wasn't it?" He remarked. He remembered the news stories about that. Shirogane looked so cool in his interviews…</p><p>"Yeah. That's the one."</p><p>"Right, c'mon, boys. Get a move on, you'll be late." Sojiro announced as he took the two empty plates away and placed them in the sink.</p><p>"Oh crap, that time already?! C'mon, I'll take the train with you and show you the way to the Aoyama-itchome line." Goro gasped as he glanced up at the clock.</p><p>"O-Oh, um, thank you… And thank you for the curry, Sakura-san. It was delicious."</p><p>"Yeah, thanks, Sojiro! It was as great as usual!"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, just get going already. And can you-"</p><p>"Flip the sign? Already did it. Bye!"</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The train ride was a quiet one. Goro tried to get Ren to open up, but the raven haired boy very much kept to himself. It felt as if he was scared to speak. After seeing Ren off to his required line, Goro let out a quiet yawn and began his walk to Kosei. As he wandered through the streets of Shibuya, his phone buzzed.</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: So, you've met the probation kid, huh?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Yeah. He seems nice… Quiet and timid, but nice.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: He really didn't say much…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: He looks like a nerd]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: That's not very nice, Futaba]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: With his height and glasses, he looks like some kinda cryptid]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: That's not very nice, Futaba…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: But, he mentioned that he's from Inaba]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Oh?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You think he might know something?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I dunno… He is just a random teenager…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I'm gonna try and befriend him.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: For info or do you genuinely wanna be friends?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Both.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Awww how sweet]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Oh shut up]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Goro stayed true to his word. Whenever he saw Ren, he'd strike up conversation. The raven haired boy seemed slightly baffled by the fact that someone actually wanted to talk to him. Goro understood why. Someone had somehow managed to leak Ren's criminal record online and now all of Shujin knew about it… And assumed the absolute worst about him. Goro had overheard a few of the rumours from some passing Shujin students as he roamed around Shibuya.</p><p>'His father is a deadbeat drunk'</p><p>'His mother is a hostess'</p><p>'He deals drugs'</p><p>'He carries a knife'</p><p>'He'll attack you if you look at him wrong'</p><p>'He murdered someone before'</p><p>These rumours were some of the most exceptionally stupid things Goro had ever heard. You were telling him that the shy boy who drops coffee cups after being startled by a loud noise on the TV and then apologises profusely for breaking them… killed somebody? Forgive him for thinking that was a complete load of bullshit.</p><p>And then the confession happened.</p><p>Suguru Kamoshida was supposedly targeted by a group named the Phantom Thieves Of Hearts. His heart was 'changed' and he confessed to everything. Abusing the volleyball team, harassing female students, silencing anyone who stood against him, attempting to expel students simply because he didn't like them.</p><p>Goro could barely make sense of what happened. Especially after learning that one of the students that was almost expelled was Ren. Goro remembered that Ren was half a day late on his first day despite leaving on time… Was it possible that Kamoshida tried to sabotage him to give him an excuse to expel him…? He wanted to investigate more but his higher ups refused. They said it was simply a coincidence. Some students playing a prank when Kamoshida's conscience caught up to him. Goro didn't believe that. Goro thought there was more to it.</p><p>It wasn't until one night where Ren slipped up that Goro realised it wasn't just Shujin that was getting Ren down.</p><p>Goro walked up into Leblanc's attic to chat to Ren again. The raven haired boy was slowly beginning to open up and Goro was eager to make more progress. But Ren wasn't there.</p><p>"Hey, Sojiro? Do you know where Ren is?" He called down.</p><p>"He went to the bathhouse." Was Sojiro's answer.</p><p>"Might as well wait for him then." Goro muttered quietly as he sat himself down on the sofa. That was when he noticed Ren's phone laying on the nearby desk.</p><p>'Leave it alone.' Goro told himself as his hand picked up the phone. Curiously got the better of him as he turned the phone on. The lockscreen was a selfie. A blond boy was holding the phone with his other arm around Ren's shoulders, grinning wildly. Ren had a small smirk on his face as his cheek was smooshed against the blond's. The cat, Morgana, that Ren had taken in after finding it abandoned was sat on top of his head, looking very cheerful. A blonde girl was stood on the other side of Ren, holding onto his arm and flashing a peace sign at the camera with a big, beaming smile.</p><p>Goro smiled. It was a relief to know that Ren did have some friends at Shujin. However that relief faded when he unlocked the phone and saw the sheer number of notifications there were for Ren's messaging app. He apprehensively clicked on it. Aside from a handful of chats and one password protective group chat…</p><p>It was completely flooded with hateful messages.</p><p>Goro couldn't believe the shit he was seeing.</p><p>
  <strong>[Yukio: Creep]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Fumie: Monster]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Satoshi: Can't believe I was friends with a violent psycho]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Kaito: You're the one who should have got beaten up]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Kiyoko: Stay in Tokyo. Never come back. No one wants you.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Saeko: Inaba used to be nice. Don't ruin it, you freak.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Asahi: You deserve to have a mental shutdown.]</strong>
</p><p>Goro's blood boiled at the sight of these messages. What the fuck was wrong with these people?! What the hell made them think it was okay to say those things?!</p><p>But those weren't the worst ones.</p><p>The worst ones were from Ren's mother.</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: Did you even think about the consequences?!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: Of course you didn't!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: You never do!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: You're just an idiot who rushes in without thinking!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: You've completely ruined our reputation!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: All you had to do was do as you were told and come home!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Ren: But, if I did nothing, there's no telling what he might have done to that woman…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: Am I supposed to care?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: That has nothing to do with me.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Ren: What was I supposed to do? Just ignore her?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: Yes!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: What part of that is so hard to understand?!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: Forget it]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: Obviously nothing I'm saying is getting through to you]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: Don't bother coming home]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Mum: You're not welcome in this family anymore.]</strong>
</p><p>Goro gritted his teeth to hold back his rage. He couldn't help but wonder about Ren's father. If anything, that conversation hurt more.</p><p>
  <strong>[Ren: Dad, you believe me, right?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Ren: You know that I didn't do anything to that man, right?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Dad: You're not my son anymore.]</strong>
</p><p>It suddenly made so much sense why Ren was so closed off. After receiving messages like that, it wouldn't surprise Goro if he felt as if no one wanted him around. A determined scowl appeared on his face as he pulled out his own phone.</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Futaba.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Yo]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: You have Ren's phone bugged, don't you?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Whaaaaaat?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: No!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: I would never disrespect someone's privacy like that!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: …]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: … Yeah, I do. Why?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: So, you've seen all those messages he's got]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Yeah. Well, all of them except the password protected chat, but I'll crack it.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: … Or you could just leave it alone?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: But passwords are intriiiiiguiiiiing….]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Mmhm…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Anyway]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I think we should do something to help him]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You mean…?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Let's punish those assholes]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Ohoho~]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: I have the perfect thing!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Which is?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: (´⊙ω⊙`)]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: A virus I cooked up]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: It basically just completely destroys your entire phone. And if you have any other devices connected to the same wifi…. Well…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Perfect.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Mission Start?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Give 'em hell, Feather Green.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Roger!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Satisfied by their plan, Goro quickly closed everything he had opened, turned the phone off and placed it back where it had been laying on the desk. To keep himself entertained, he grabbed a book Ren had bought and placed on the shelf. He figured that if he had to wait, he might as well keep himself entertained.</p><p>It only took half an hour until that familiar head of fluffy black hair appeared up the stairs.</p><p>"Hello!" Goro giggled as Ren froze in place at the sight of him.</p><p>"Um…?"</p><p>"Sojiro told me you were at the bathhouse, so I waited for you."</p><p>"... Why?"</p><p>Ren seemed genuinely baffled by the fact that Goro wanted to hang out with him.</p><p>"Why not? It's not my fault that you're so interesting." Goro chuckled in response. Ren's eyes widened.</p><p>"I-I'm…?" He cut himself off as he glanced off to the side as he bashfully fiddled with a tuft of hair.</p><p>"Sorry…" He mumbled.</p><p>Goro tilted his head, confused by the random apology. "What for?"</p><p>"For being so rude… You kept coming to talk to me and I kept being really dismissive and trying to get away." Ren muttered, staring down at the floor in shame. Goro shook his head.</p><p>"No, it's fine. It's completely understandable, considering everything that's gone on at Shujin. Plus, I probably came on a bit too strong… Sorry about that." Goro gave his own apology. Ren awkwardly chuckled.</p><p>"You did come on a little too strong for my liking, but I've met more forward people."</p><p>Goro chuckled back before staring at Ren with a thoughtful expression.</p><p>"Ren, could I ask you a question?"</p><p>"H-Huh? Um, sure, if you want to…"</p><p>"Are you perhaps scared of me because I'm a detective?"</p><p>The sudden tensing of Ren's body language was all the answer Goro needed.</p><p>"That's fair enough… Getting arrested must've been a traumatic experience…" The chestnut haired boy mumbled understandably. "Could I ask you something else?"</p><p>Ren frowned as he propped himself up on the banister.</p><p>"S-Sure…"</p><p>"What exactly happened when you got arrested? You don't exactly seem very dangerous to me. The opposite, really…"</p><p>Ren grimaced. "I-I didn't… I didn't do-"</p><p>Goro noticed Ren's hands beginning to tremble uncontrollably. The raven haired boy tried to stop them, but to no avail. Goro stood up from his seat and walked over to Ren, taking ahold of his hands and halting the shaking. Ren looked up at him in surprise.</p><p>"Please tell me what happened. I'm willing to listen." He pleaded quietly. Ren's mouth fell open as his eyes watered up. The shock that someone actually wanted to hear his side of the story broke Goro's heart. Ren closed his eyes and took a large gulp to brace himself.</p><p>"I was walking home from practise. It was pretty dark out because we ended up staying way later than we anticipated. As I was walking through, I heard a man and a woman shouting. The man was threatening her and the woman was begging him to stop. I walked over to see what was happening and saw the man grabbing the woman's wrist and trying to force her into a car. I kinda just moved on instinct and grabbed his shoulder to try and calm me down. He swung around and tried to hit me but he was drunk so he fell over and hit his head. He said he'd sue me. A-And…"</p><p>Ren hesitated. This was obviously the part of the story that affected him most. Goro gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.</p><p>"And…?"</p><p>"A-And then the police came over. The man said him and the woman were having a disagreement when I came over and suddenly attacked him… And he made the woman agree with him… E-E-Everything's kinda blurry after that… I don't… I don't really remember anything after that…"</p><p>Goro frowned as he gently tugged Ren over to his bed and made him take a seat.</p><p>"That's understandable. You probably went into shock… But, it sounds to me that this man blackmailed that woman… Do you remember anything about him? Did he have any prominent features? Or did he say anything that stuck out to you?" He asked, hoping to help Ren in some way. Ren frowned as he tried to remember.</p><p>"U-Um… I don't… I don't really remember much… I mostly saw him from behind and when I did see him from the front, he had his hand on his head injury, so… I do remember that he was bald, though… And I think he had a goatee. And words… Hmm… I… I remember him telling the woman that 'the police were his bitches'..." Ren reminisced, clutching his head. Just thinking about that night gave him a terrible headache.</p><p>Goro's chest pounded. That description… It was vague, but oh so familiar… And police being his bitches… That would mean he had to be pretty influential…</p><p>"When exactly did this happen?"</p><p>"About… 2-3 months ago."</p><p>The times added up.</p><p>It was him.</p><p>Goro snarled at the thought of that bastard. Just how many damn lives had he ruined?! He took a deep breath to soothe his rage before flashing Ren a comforting smile.</p><p>"I'll see what I can find. It's clear that this man rigged the trial somehow…" He announced. Ren looked up at him in surprise.</p><p>"Y-You believe me?"</p><p>"Why wouldn't I? I'm a detective, I know a false testimony when I hear one."</p><p>Ren stared at him in shock. It was one thing for his rowdy friends to believe him, but an actual detective listening to him and believing him? It didn't feel real.</p><p>"Although, there is something else that I'm curious about…" Goro spoke up again, placing his hand on his chin.</p><p>"Oh? What is it?" Ren asked in anticipation.</p><p>"You mentioned you were at practise; what exactly did you do at your old school?" Goro asked with a smirk. Ren turned a light pink and looked away.</p><p>".... -al… -re…"</p><p>"Hm? Sorry I didn't catch that."</p><p>Ren grumbled as he flushed from pink to red.</p><p>"... Musical theatre…"</p><p>Goro couldn't help but grin at that revelation.</p><p>"Really?!"</p><p>"Yeah…"</p><p>"Wait, why are you embarrassed about that? If you enjoy it, just do it."</p><p>"People laugh at me for it…"</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>Ren flushed a brighter red.</p><p>"I get a little too into it…"</p><p>"How do you mean?"</p><p>"... One time… I was cast as the villain for one of our productions… and apparently I was so convincing as a maniacal madman that I made some kids in the audience cry…"</p><p>Goro had to try his hardest to stifle his laughter. Ren flushed a much brighter red.</p><p>"Don't laugh…"</p><p>"What? D-Doesn't that just show that you're a great actor? You shouldn't be embarrassed, you should be proud!" The chestnut haired boy assured him. Ren frowned bashfully.</p><p>"W-Well, yeah… I suppose… But, still, I made children cry…"</p><p>"Not your fault that the kids were pussies."</p><p>This time it was Ren trying his hardest not to laugh.</p><p>"Whoa! Little harsh, don't you think?!" He gasped out in disbelief.</p><p>"What?! I'm just telling the truth! Don't hate me for being honest!" Goro defended himself. Ren couldn't hold his laughter back anymore. Tears streamed from his eyes as he clutched his stomach. He had no idea that the pleasant detective prince could be so ruthless. But, you know what?</p><p>He liked it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Another month passed. Another Phantom Thieves incident. This time with a much more prominent target. Ichiryusai Madarame. Goro was over the moon when he and Sae Niijima were assigned to investigate the case. I mean… Phantom Thieves? Stealing hearts? Making criminals confess their crimes? It was like something straight out of a manga!</p><p>Although, he couldn't help but feeling a little jealous. He wished he had whatever power these anonymous thieves had… He'd make Shido grovel and beg for forgiveness for the rest of his life…</p><p>Futaba was excited by his assignment as well. She was fascinated by the Thieves. She was convinced that they were changing hearts by altering their targets' cognitions, but she couldn't really prove it unless she met them. Thanks to this, Goro was determined to find them. Sojiro and Ren, on the other hand, were stunned that Goro had been assigned to the case. He told them during one of Ren's brewing lessons. They both thought it was strange that they assigned a teenager to the case. Sojiro couldn't help but feel like they were mocking Goro; making a fool of him by making him work on such a ridiculous case. And Ren was worried that, because it was mostly only Goro and Sae investigating, that they'd overwork themselves and pleaded for Goro to remember to take it easy from time to time.</p><p>Speaking of Ren, him and Goro had become much closer since their conversation about Ren's arrest. If anything, they had developed a playful rivalry after Goro taught him how to play chess. The two greatly enjoyed each other's company, but they enjoyed teasing each other even more. Goro had so much hanging out with Ren now that he had really begun to open up. He wasn't the shy, timid boy he was when he first arrived. He was fun, cheeky, passionate about music, cocky at times. He had a love of terrible puns, loved trying new food, blunt with his words. He was just so much fun to be around.</p><p>Goro froze in surprise while walking through the TV studio hallways. He had heard someone speaking loudly about going to a theme park and getting some food. Who could blame him for being curious? What he hadn't expected was to see Ren standing there with his friends.</p><p>"Ren?"</p><p>He unconsciously called out as he stared at the raven haired boy in bewilderment. Ren stared back. So did his friends. The girl seemed surprised while the boy seemed pretty hostile.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" He asked. Ren's eyes widened behind his glasses.</p><p>"Oh right… I forgot to tell you. I had a social studies trip here. For today and tomorrow." He replied nonchalantly. Goro raised his eyebrows. He genuinely couldn't tell if Ren was lying or not. He was a sneaky one…</p><p>"Wait… Aren't you Goro Akechi?! The Detective Prince?!" The blonde girl asked in surprise as she recognised Goro's face.</p><p>"Seriously?! How the hell do you know someone like that?!" The bleached haired boy demanded an answer from Ren.</p><p>"He's the son of the guy who took me in." Was Ren's blunt reply.</p><p>"For real?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"So, school trip? You enjoy it today?" Goro awkwardly spoke up, plastering his charismatic Prince smile onto his face. The two blondes grimaced.</p><p>"Some creep hit on Ann and then forced me and Ryuji to carry some heavy ass cables for him." Ren answered with a disgruntled expression. Goro couldn't help but wince at that news.</p><p>"Oh god… Do you have any idea who he was?" He asked.</p><p>"Yeah, he gave me his business card after telling me I had the 'slamming bod' he was looking for for a model shoot." Ann huffed, pulling the crumpled up business card out of her bag. Goro took it from her and looked at the name.</p><p>"Ah… I know this guy… Don't worry, I'll sort him out." He assured them as he slid the business card into his pocket.</p><p>"How?" Ryuji scoffed dismissively.</p><p>"Let's just say… I have some influence around here." He answered, flashing his signature smile. Ann's eyes widened, Ryuji grimaced anxiously and Ren. Ren was completely unaffected.</p><p>"Dude… Your smile is sweet but your words are bitter as hell…" The punkish boy mumbled.</p><p>"You get used to it. Welp, anyways, I wanna ride rollercoasters, let's get moving." Ren changed the subject, childishly grabbing onto Ryuji's shoulders and playfully pushing him.</p><p>"Wha-? Dude, chill!"</p><p>"Nooooo, I've never been to a real theme park beforeeeee" Ren whined.</p><p>"Really?" Asked Ann and Goro in unison.</p><p>"For real? There ain't one in your hometown?"</p><p>"The main hangout spot for kids our age there is Junes; what do you think?" Retorted Ren with an unimpressed expression.</p><p>"Wow, okay, point taken."</p><p>"Well then, I'll let you guys have fun. I've got a briefing to attend. What are you doing here tomorrow?" Goro asked as he began to excuse himself.</p><p>"We're gonna be the audience for a recording of an interview." Ann informed him.</p><p>"Oh! Well then, I'll see you tomorrow!" Goro chuckled excitedly.</p><p>"What…?" Ryuji growled. It seemed that he had taken a dislike towards Goro for some reason.</p><p>"Wait, are you-?"</p><p>"The person being interviewed? Yes, yes I am." Goro smirked at Ren.</p><p>"Oh goodie." Ren huffed in response, rolling his eyes with an exasperated grin.</p><p>"No need to jump for joy. Well then, it was lovely to meet the two of you, I'll see you tomorrow. And Ren, I'll see you at home, save some curry for me." Goro snickered as he began walking away, waving at the trio.</p><p>"Nah, I'm gonna eat your share." Ren shot back as they began walking in the opposite direction.</p><p>"You are insufferable."</p><p>"I'm aware."</p><p>As Goro turned the corner, his phone buzzed in his pocket.</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Damn, he got you whipped, huh?]</strong>
</p><p>Goro's brow furrowed in confusion.</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: What in the goddamn are you talking about?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Oh, you know ;)]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: No, I don't. What do you mean?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: I mean you want dat ass ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: WHAT]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: NO]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: DON'T BE STUPID]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Futaba, I've only known him a couple of months!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I just enjoy his presence, that's all]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: He's an interesting rival]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Sure]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: "Rival"...]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I'm being serious!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: There's nothing going on!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I wouldn't feel like that!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Methinks the man doth protest too much…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I'm not!]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Mmhm, yeah, sure]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: K game downloaded later twink]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: STOP CALLING ME A TWINK]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Stop being a twink then]</strong>
</p><p>Goro shoved his phone back into his pocket as he tried his best to ignore the sudden heat in his cheeks.</p><p>"So stupid…"</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Goro let out an exasperated sigh as he sat down in the break room of the TV studio. He couldn't believe Ren. That crafty lil asshole actually told him to his face that he sucked at his job ON NATIONAL TV. He had guts, Goro gave him that. But he knew that Ren didn't have any malicious intent and, in a way, he was right. The Thieves did do more than the police in those cases. He shook his head with an amused smile on his face as he ate the lunch that Sojiro had made for him. Sure, it was the afternoon, but it was the first chance he'd had all day to eat. As he munched on his food, his phone buzzed once again. He frowned when he saw who it was.</p><p>'She better not call me a twink again…' He thought, opening the chat.</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba sent an image]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Whomst the fuck?]</strong>
</p><p>Goro opened the image to find a screenshot from the camera Futaba had installed in Leblanc's attic. It was Ren, his cat, his two friends from Shujin and another person sat together, eating a hot pot.</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: The two blondes are Ren's friends. If I remember correctly, he told me that the boy is Ryuji and the girl is Ann.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Then who the hell's string bean?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: How should I know?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: He's got a Kosei uniform. You go to Kosei. Figure it out, Ace Detective]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: The image quality's shit. How the hell am I supposed to figure it out?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba sent an image]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: There. Solve it, bitch.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Goro frowned in confusion as he recognised the boy in the image.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: That's Yusuke Kitagawa…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: He's a second year at Kosei and was a pupil of Madarame…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: How does he know Ren…?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Hey, yeah…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: They seem pretty buddy-buddy, huh?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Wonder how they met?]</strong>
</p><p>Goro scowled as he looked at the photo again. Yusuke did seem to be sitting rather close to Ren… Goro's scowl grew larger. He felt a strange twinge in his chest.</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I don't know.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Oh my god, you're jealous, aren't you?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I'm not jealous.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You are.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I'm not.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You obviously are]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Don't be ridiculous.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Ren is allowed to have friends, you know.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Yeah. Don't mean you're suddenly immune to jealousy.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Why the hell would I be jealous?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You know why.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Not this shit again…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You right now - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ee86DRxtHU]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Hm?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: OH FUCK YOU]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: NO]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: STOP IT]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Stop being such a tsundere~~~~]</strong>
</p><p>"Akechi-san? Sorry, but we need you, could you come to the briefing room in a few minutes?" A tired woman asked, poking her head around the door.</p><p>"H-Huh?! Oh, um, yes, of course. Just… Give me a few minutes." He hurriedly responded.</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I have to go.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: And stop spying on Ren and his friends, it's creepy]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You know I'm riiiiiiiiiiight~ ( ˘ ³˘)♥]</strong>
</p><p>Goro let out a flustered groan as he hid his face in his hands. He frowned down at his bag as he tried to rearrange his thoughts. And he hated it. Because in the end, he had to admit it.</p><p>Futaba was right.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A couple of weeks later, Goro had noticed Ren acting a little strangely. He seemed kind of… on edge. And quite tired. It was when he came home and was anxiously glancing over his shoulder that Goro finally put his foot down.</p><p>"Okay. What the hell is going on with you?" He asked while the café was empty, slamming his hand towel onto the counter.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Ren played dumb as he glanced behind him out the corner of his eye again.</p><p>"We're not stupid, kid. It's obvious something's bothering you. I mean, look at you: it's clearly keeping you up at night." Sojiro spoke up, backing Goro. Ren frowned as he looked down at the floor.</p><p>"It's nothing… Just someone from school keeps following me…" The raven haired boy muttered quietly. The other two raised their eyebrows in surprise.</p><p>"They keep following you?" Goro repeated anxiously.</p><p>"Yeah… At first, they kept following me at school, during break and lunch and whenever I had stuff to do after lessons had ended for the day… But, now I keep seeing them trailing after me in Shibuya…" Ren explained, rubbing his tired eyes.</p><p>"Have you confronted them about this?" Asked Sojiro, crossing his arms.</p><p>"Yeah, but whenever I ask them, they just say that they were so absorbed in their book that they didn't realise where they were going…" Ren mumbled.</p><p>"Don't sound like much of an actor…" Muttered Sojiro with an unimpressed expression.</p><p>"Have you told anyone about this?" Goro enquired nervously.</p><p>"Who do you think people are gonna believe: the student council president or the delinquent on probation?" Ren sighed dishearteningly. Goro's eyes widened at that revelation.</p><p>"Wait, the person stalking you is Shujin's student council president?" Sojiro asked in confusion.</p><p>'Sae-san's sister…?' Goro pondered to himself.</p><p>"I-I wouldn't really call it stalking…"</p><p>'I would.' Goro bitterly thought.</p><p>"Wh- Did you do something?" Sojiro asked, trying to make sense of the situation.</p><p>"No. I-I don't think I did, anyway…"</p><p>"Well, even if you did do something, constantly following you is way out of line…" Sojiro huffed, scratching the back of his neck. Ren remained silent. He was just so tired… Goro glanced off to the side as he tried to figure out what could possibly be going on. Why on earth would Niijima-san…?</p><p>Ren sighed as he lifted his glasses from his face. "I'm gonna go take a nap…"</p><p>"Sure thing, kid. You look like you could use some rest." Sojiro agreed as Ren trudged sluggishly upstairs. After the raven haired boy had disappeared from their sight, Sojiro let out a long sigh. "The hell has that kid got himself into now?"</p><p>Goro sighed back in response. "At this point? I don't think even he knows…"</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The chestnut haired boy stretched his back contentedly as he wandered through the college hallways. He enjoyed learning about all of the available courses and the details of everything he needed to know. Now all he had to do was ace his entrance exams at the beginning of next year. But he was confident, so that wasn't much of an issue. Turning a corner, he noticed a familiar brunette. He hadn't properly met her before, only brief encounters when she brought spare clothes for Sae and the like. The sight of her reminded him of the conversation in Leblanc a few days ago. He couldn't help but approach.</p><p>"You're Sae-san's younger sister, aren't you? May I talk to you for a moment?" He called out to her with his polite detective prince persona on full display. The brunette turned around curiously.</p><p>"Is it about the Phantom Thieves… Akechi-kun?" She shot back, seeming a little hostile.</p><p>Phantom Thieves…? Why would he talk to her about-? Oh right, she was the student council president of the school they debuted in… Well, might as well play along.</p><p>"... You're quite perceptive. I was wondering if there were any points in common between the Kamoshida and Madarame cases. There have been victims, after all. The Phantom Thieves must be pursued." He remarked on the spot. Thank god he asked Ren to give him some pointers in acting… Sure, he only asked to get Ren to open up, but damn that lesson came in handy.</p><p>"You criticize the Phantom Thieves, and yet you don't doubt their actual existence." Makoto commented, seemingly trying to catch Goro off his game. He simply smiled back. She was gonna have to try a lot harder than that… He already had a much more shrewd rival.</p><p>"Oh, you saw that show on TV." He giggled with his usual princely smile. "Common sense can get in the way at times when pursuing the truth. Many details become logical if I think on the basis that they do exist."</p><p>A tense scowl appeared on Makoto's face at that explanation. "Is this… because my sister told you to do so?"</p><p>"It was just a coincidence." Goro pleasantly replied.</p><p>"Why do I get the feeling that you're enjoying this?" Makoto enquired, her scowl growing larger.</p><p>"... You may be right." Goro giggled sweetly.</p><p>"Huh…?"</p><p>"Phantom Thieves that use calling cards and succeed in their crime… As the so-called 'Charismatic Detective' it'd be hard for me not to see them as my rival." He remarked with an amused laugh.</p><p>"You have such high self esteem." Scoffed Makoto, seemingly a little irritated by Goro's bragging. "So the Phantom Thieves are evil and you are just?"</p><p>"Compared to people who manipulate others' hearts as they see fit, I believe that I'm on the side of justice." Goro smoothly lied. In all honesty, he didn't think he was much different from them. He desperately wanted that power for himself. If it meant that he could protect Futaba and make Shido grovel for forgiveness for stealing his mother from him, he'd happily manipulate anyone's heart. "Besides, I'm only using my natural-born talents for the sake of serving this world. Don't you think the same about yourself too?"</p><p>The chestnut haired detective watched Makoto very closely, anticipating her reaction. The brunette grimaced slightly as she averted her gaze, staring down at the tiled floor.</p><p>"I-"</p><p>"...Oh, that's surprising. So, you're just the good girl type of pushover." He hummed thoughtfully. He genuinely hadn't expected that. She seemed so feisty at first, but now… Hm. That was disappointing. He figured he might as well mention what he actually wanted to talk about.</p><p>"Besides… I don't think stalking someone is very becoming of an honor student, wouldn't you agree?" He spat, dropping his princely facade for a few seconds and looking down on Makoto with disdain. She couldn't form any words. She simply stared at Goro in shock as he casually pulled his phone out and checked the time.</p><p>"... Looks like it's starting soon." He remarked. Finally, the presentation he'd been waiting for. "See you later. Give Sae-san my regards." He politely excused himself with his princely smile plastered back onto his face. He didn't even bother to look back at Makoto as he walked down the hallway towards his required lecture hall. As per usual, his phone buzzed in his hand. He checked to find the usual suspect.</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Damn, dude, you didn't have to drag her so hard]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: She's been stalking Ren and causing him visible discomfort.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Excuse me for not thinking too highly of her.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Well, yeah, I get that. Following someone around is pretty dang creepy]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: And watching them on hidden cameras isn't?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: B u t]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Was it really necessary for you to logic chess her into a corner?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Yes.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Mmmm, don't think it was.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: It was entirely necessary.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You sure you're not a sadist?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: … I really wish you would stop calling me these things…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: And actually, you know what? I really wish you'd stop listening in on my conversations.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Hmm nah]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: That's boring.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: You're really annoying sometimes, you know that?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: I'm your sister. That's my job.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Fair enough…]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I'm heading into a lecture now.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Gonna have to put my phone on silent.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I'll stop in at that bakery I like and bring back some donuts for you when I'm done for the day, okay?]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: D O N U T S]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: I'll take that as a yes.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: See you later.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: Later!! ⊂((・▽・))⊃]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>An exhausted huff left Goro's mouth as he exited Yongen-Jaya station and began walking through the streets towards Leblanc.</p><p>The Phantom Thieves had struck again. This time their target was the Mafia boss, Junya Kaneshiro. Goro couldn't believe it. The police force had been trying to track him down for months, and yet the Phantom Thieves took him down as if it were nothing. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't impressed… But he was pretty irritated as well. It made him feel a little incompetent. Now, people were beginning to criticize the police. Thanks to that, Goro had to work a lot more shifts the past week… Sojiro had threatened to complain to Goro's higher-ups. The bearded man hated seeing Goro come staggering home late at night, half asleep as he announced he had homework he needed to do.</p><p>It didn't help that Futaba's hallucinations had started getting worse again. Goro barely got any sleep because he was too busy worrying about Futaba. He desperately wanted to help her, but what could he do? He couldn't see or hear what she kept experiencing, so he couldn't really understand what she was going through. Not to mention, she still wasn't coming out of her room… Nowadays, it was only Sojiro who was very occasionally allowed inside. And on especially bad days? Futaba wouldn't even text anyone. The idea of her being completely alone, trapped in the hell that no one else could see made Goro feel sick. He still sent her texts throughout the day to let her know that he was there for her. But… still… He was worried that maybe she might feel like he was more concerned with work than her...</p><p>Luckily, he had managed to snag a shorter shift today.</p><p>"Hey, Sojiro… Can I have some curry? I'm starving…" He muttered as he entered Leblanc. He looked up to see that Sojiro wasn't there. Instead, Ren was sat at one of the booths with Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke and… Makoto? What? Why? Goro couldn't hide his confusion at the brunette's presence in Leblanc. Ren stood up from his seat next to Ryuji.</p><p>"Sojiro had to go somewhere after getting a phone call. He said he'd be back soon, but that was a couple of hours ago… But, I made a pretty good batch of curry earlier! So, yeah, you can have some curry!" He informed Goro with a cheery smile as he made his way over the café's kitchen.</p><p>'That'll be Futaba again…' Goro thought to himself. This had happened enough times for him to know instantly. It was practically a routine at this point.</p><p>"You look tired. Been busy?" Asked Ann, casually leaning on her elbows.</p><p>Goro let out an irritated sigh.</p><p>"I understand that the police force are irritated by the Phantom Thieves making them look like fools, but the fact that they're relying on me to clean up their mess is just plain embarrassing…" He muttered as he followed Ren into the kitchen.</p><p>"Pfft, maybe if they weren't so useless, the Phantom Thieves wouldn't have made 'em look stupid." Ryuji scoffed in amusement as he leaned back in his seat.</p><p>"True enough… Anyway, what are all of you doing?" Goro asked as he watched Ren pull a plate out of one of the cupboards. The two blondes huffed dejectedly.</p><p>"Studying for exams…" They informed him in unison. Goro glanced over at Yusuke in confusion.</p><p>"But, Kosei have already finished their exams for this term?"</p><p>"There's no harm in going over everything again." Yusuke bluntly responded. It didn't really seem like he was completely tuned into the conversation. Goro decided it was best to drop it. He shuffled into the kitchen, next to Ren.</p><p>"Hey." He whispered, tapping Ren's shoulder as he positioned himself out of the group's line of sight.</p><p>"What?" Asked Ren, glancing at Goro over his shoulder as he scooped curry onto the plate.</p><p>"Why is she here?" Goro asked in a hushed tone.</p><p>"'She'?"</p><p>"Niijima-san."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"Don't play dumb! Why are you hanging out with the person that stalked you?!" Goro hissed under his breath.</p><p>"That was just a misunderstanding…"</p><p>"I don't understand how something like that could be 'just a misunderstanding'."</p><p>"We… just had the wrong ideas about each other."</p><p>"Be that as it may, you were obviously really freaked out by her following you around! How the hell can you go from that to being buddies?! I don't understand…"</p><p>Ren frowned as he tried to think of a way to explain.</p><p>"It… It was really awkward and uncomfortable at first… But we're working through our differences and setting them aside." Was what he eventually said. Goro stared at him with a baffled scowl. Just what the hell was that supposed to mean?! He let out a stressed sigh as he pushed his hair back.</p><p>"... Fine. If that's what you wanna do about it… But, if she ever does anything like that again, let me know, okay?" He requested. He couldn't help but feel a little protective of Ren. He frowned as Futaba's teasing echoed through his head. Ren smirked at him.</p><p>"I thought you were a detective not a bodyguard." He teased as he dumped a final scoop of rice onto the plate and placed it on the counter. Goro rolled his eyes and grabbed Ren's hand.</p><p>"Let me know, okay?" He pleaded, trying his best to ignore the pounding in his chest. Ren looked down at their intertwined hands in surprise before looking up at Goro's face, making eye contact. The serious spark in Goro's eyes caught him off guard. The raven haired boy smiled softly as he gently released his hand from Goro's grasp.</p><p>"Okay." He quietly agreed before grabbing a spoon and placing it onto the plate. Goro smiled back at him, relieved that he felt comfortable enough to accept Goro's help.</p><p>"Do you wanna join our study group? I think Makoto's getting bored of babysitting us." Ren asked as he handed the plate of curry to Goro and returned to the booth.</p><p>"Well, maybe I wouldn't mind so much if Ryuji stopped complaining and actually focused…" Sighed Makoto, taking a sip of her drink.</p><p>"Ain't my fault! When are we ever gonna need algebra?!" Ryuji huffed back, balancing his pen on his upper lip.</p><p>"Might as well, I suppose. Looks like you could use all the help you can get!" Goro replied with an amused giggle. He exited the kitchen and sat himself down next to Ren. After placing his dinner down, he opened his bag and pulled out his textbooks.</p><p>"So, who needs help with what?"</p><p>"Everything…"</p><p>"Everything but English…"</p><p>"I'm doing rather well, it's simply Math and Physics that I struggle with."</p><p>"Basically anything involving numbers… I'm good with Literature and Music, though."</p><p>"I'm good with everything. I just need to revise them."</p><p>Goro raised an eyebrow as he leaned over to his fellow tutor.</p><p>"I'm getting the impression that we may need to focus on math, for the time being…"</p><p>Makoto sighed as she flicked through her math textbook.</p><p>"You do seem to get that idea, don't you…?"</p><p>"Hey, we can't help being stupid…" Muttered Ren as he scowled at the equations mocking him.</p><p>Goro chuckled as he opened up his maths textbook and pulled out his pencil case. Before making a start on teaching the second years, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text.</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Hey, Futaba. Just letting you know that I'm home.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: Well, I'm at Leblanc and I probably won't be back at actual home for a couple of hours because I'm studying with friends.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: But, I'm here. And if you need anything, let me know, okay? I'm always here for you.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[Goro: See you later. I love you.]</strong>
</p><p>He locked his phone, figuring that he probably wasn't going to get a response. He hadn't really spoken to Futaba for about a week now… He'd heard her freaking out and spoke to her in an attempt to ground her, but he never really got a response. He just hoped that all of his unanswered messages were getting through to her.</p><p>However, what he didn't know was that this time Futaba wasn't responding because, just a few minutes before Goro had entered Leblanc, she had made a rather interesting discovery.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Goro hummed happily to himself as he scrubbed the dishes in the sink, listening to TV while Sojiro collected the payment from the customers who had just left.</p><p>"You sure you want to help out around here on your day off?" The bearded man asked as he placed the money in the cash register.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure! Besides, I haven't really been able to see much of you lately, so now we can actually chat." Goro cheerfully replied. He had finally been given a day off from detective work and, since his school didn't know that he had the day off, he figured he wouldn't tell them and use the chance to catch up on some much needed sleep. And once he had woken up and checked on Futaba, receiving no reply, he decided to help Sojiro at Leblanc.</p><p>"You can be real adorable sometimes, you know that, kid?" Chuckled Sojiro with a touched smile.</p><p>"I'm always adorable."</p><p>"Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that."</p><p>"And just what is that supposed to mean?"</p><p>"Nothing at all. Keep scrubbing those dishes."</p><p>"Fine, fine…" Goro chuckled as he placed another mug onto the drying rack.</p><p>"God, two hours for just one cup of coffee…" Huffed Sojiro as he thought back to the recently left customers.</p><p>"They sure do love to chat." Goro replied with an amused smirk.</p><p>"You seem to get on pretty well with 'em." The bearded man remarked, wandering back into the kitchen to check on the new batch of curry that was cooking away.</p><p>"We have similar tastes in books. It's quite fun discussing all those twists in our favourite murder mystery novels… And tearing apart the awful ones." Goro explained. He did enjoy those conversations. That reminded him: there was a new novel by that author he loved being released soon…</p><p>"Well, as long as you're having fun…" Chuckled Sojiro softly as he picked up his wordsearch. The two of them quietly continued their tasks, listening to the TV but not really paying attention to what was being said. Until the bell rang.</p><p>"I'm back." Ren quietly announced, shutting the door behind him.</p><p>"Welcome back." Goro pleasantly replied, not turning around as he continued washing the dishes. There were a lot to get through, thanks to an unexpectedly large lunch rush.</p><p>"What? You look like you wanna say something." Sojiro asked, still a little irritated that Ren had walked in on his disagreement with Sae. He still hadn't told Goro about that incident, he knew that the chestnut haired boy would not take it well.</p><p>The room fell silent, aside from the buzz of the TV and soft splashing as Goro washed the dishes. Ren frowned curiously as he looked Sojiro dead in the eyes. And then said a sentence neither Sojiro nor Goro ever anticipated.</p><p>"Who is Futaba Sakura?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Smash</em>!</p><p>The loud sound echoed out, breaking through the silence that befell Leblanc as a cup slipped from Goro's fingers and shattered on the wooden floor. The chestnut haired boy's ears were ringing.</p><p>What…</p><p>Did he just say?</p><p>As he cautiously looked over his shoulder, he noticed the baffled expression on Ren's face… And the hostile scowl on Sojiro's.</p><p>"Wh-What did I tell you about asking so many damn questions?!" The bearded man barked. A hint of nervousness flashed through Ren's eyes.</p><p>"I-I just… heard people in the neighborhood mention the name… and wondered if you knew them…" Ren justified his question.</p><p>"That's none of your damn business! Don't forget you're here on probation! Cause any trouble and I'll throw you out onto the street so just behave yourself and do your homework!" Howled Sojiro with a furious glare. Ren's eyes widened at the sudden outburst before lowering his head and hiding his eyes.</p><p>"... Yes, Sakura-san." He quietly agreed before hurriedly making his way upstairs. While Goro bent down as swept up at the broken cup, Sojiro let out an irritated scoff as he patted all of his pockets.</p><p>"Dammit… I'm heading out to get some more smokes." He huffed as he stomped towards the door before disappearing around the corner.</p><p>Goro couldn't believe what had just happened. He tried to make sense of everything as he dumped the broken cup into the trash but his state of mind was too chaotic to think clearly.</p><p>He was confused.</p><p>He was terrified.</p><p>He was seething.</p><p>Without really thinking, his body moved on autopilot up the stairs. He saw Ren standing back up from feeding his plant. As Ren noticed him approaching and turned to face him, Goro reached out his hands and aggressively slammed them against the wall behind Ren, trapping the raven haired boy.</p><p>"Wh-?!"</p><p>"How the hell did you find out about Futaba?" Growled Goro, glaring daggers into Ren.</p><p>"Wh-What are-"</p><p>"Answer the damn question! How the hell did you find out about Futaba?!"</p><p>"I-I-I told you! I heard people mention the name!"</p><p>"Bullshit! No one around here knows about her! Where did you hear her name?! Why the hell do you need to know about her?! Well?! Answer me already!" Goro demanded, his interrogation growing more ferocious as his emotions spiralled out of control.</p><p>"I-I-I-I-"</p><p>"Answer me, dammit!"</p><p>An aggressive hiss from the nearby desk pulled Goro out of the red mist for the few seconds. It was then that he took a good look at Ren. Pinned to the wall, completely defenseless. An empty bag of plant food at his feet. His eyes squeezed tightly shut as his head was turned to the side. His entire body trembling uncontrollably. A pang of guilt rushed through Goro.</p><p>What the hell was he doing…?</p><p>Goro cautiously removed his hands from the wall, freeing Ren from his interrogation. Ren carefully opened one eye to see what Goro was doing. The relief of the situation ending made his legs give way from underneath him, making the bespectacled boy crash to the ground with an ungraceful thud. He anxiously gasped for breath as he looked up at Goro with terrified eyes. Goro couldn't believe the sight in front of him. He did that to Ren. He was disgusted with himself.</p><p>"I-..." He couldn't find the words to say. He glanced to the side guiltily to find Morgana sat on the desk, glaring at him and hissing as he lowered his furry body as though he were readying to pounce. The teenage detective closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself and pushing his hair away from his sweaty forehead.</p><p>"I-I… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have… Look. Just… This isn't any of your business… So just stay out of it and leave Futaba alone, okay…?" Goro quietly pleaded, not really sure how to apologise for his outburst. Ren didn't know how to respond either as he looked down at the wooden floorboards. His hands were still shivering as they gently gripped onto the nearby packet.</p><p>"O-Okay…" He replied with a breathless whisper, avoiding eye contact with Goro.</p><p>The chestnut haired boy cringed as the guilt that washed through him became overwhelming. Morgana leapt down from the desk and positioned himself on Ren's lap, seemingly comforting the shaken up boy.</p><p>"I'm so sorry…" Goro quietly repeated before rushing back downstairs and out of Leblanc. He kept running until he got home. His anxiety was still swirling uncomfortably within him. He had to check up on Futaba. Just how the hell did Ren learn about her…? Neither him nor Sojiro ever mentioned her around him… Who else was there who could tell Ren about her? Pushing the countless questions from his mind, Goro knocked on the girl in question's door.</p><p>"Futaba? You awake? You doing okay?" He cautiously called out. He heard her chair creak. So, she was on her computer then… Like normal… An involuntary sigh of relief escaped Goro's mouth at that information. As relief washed through him, his phone unexpectedly buzzed. He excitedly pulled it out. This was the first time Futaba had messaged him for almost two weeks now, after all. However the smile on his face quickly fell as he read the message.</p><p>
  <strong>[Futaba: You're the worst.]</strong>
</p><p>"Wh-What do you-"</p><p>The realisation hit Goro like a ton of bricks.</p><p>"You saw what happened in Leblanc, didn't you…?"</p><p>The silence he got in response was deafening. A shameful grimace consumed his face as he tried and tried to think of what to say.</p><p>"L-Look, I-... I just… I panicked, okay? Futaba? I don't want anything to hurt you anymore than you've already been hurt… Sojiro and I went out of our way to make sure that Ren didn't learn about you… So when he said your name… I-I just panicked and acted on instinct… I'm sorry…" He eventually explained. He didn't receive a response. He lowered his head as he could feel Futaba's judgement emanating through the door.</p><p>"You don't have to forgive me… Just… Know that I regret it, please? … I'll leave you alone now. Call me if you need anything." He quietly pleaded before walking away, towards his room.</p><p>Within the room, the orange haired girl glanced at the door out the corner of her eye before looking back at her computer monitor. She scanned her eyes across the information displayed on the screen and clicked on her keyboard. Gaining access to Ren's phone once again, she forced her way in the password protected chat titled 'Phantom Thieves'.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The next few days were… awkward, to say the least. Ren seemed to be avoiding Goro now, leaving the café in a hurry whenever he showed up. It wasn't until Goro thought about the incident the night after it happened that it occurred to him that the police who arrested Ren for his 'assault' may have gotten violent during the interrogation. That just made his guilt increase by tenfold. He knew he needed to apologise, he just… didn't really know how… Goro had never really been good at apologies....</p><p>Ren and Sojiro didn't really seem to be on speaking terms either. Sojiro only spoke when he greeted Ren home or when he needed help in the shop. But Ren was as quiet as a mouse, seemingly too scared to speak, too worried about the possibility of saying the wrong thing and getting thrown out.</p><p>It wasn't until one random night in Shibuya Station that they spoke again. Goro had been called in to help out with a development in a case of a politician's son committing three separate murders. While he was heading home, he received a call from Sae requesting a helping hand after Medjed had made a new announcement, declaring war on the Phantom Thieves. Goro didn't want to. He was tired and stressed and pissed off. But he knew that this case was important, so he accepted.</p><p>An irritated huff escaped his lips as he wandered through the station, reading through the announcement on Medjed's website. They were really going to ruin Japan's entire economy over the identities of a small vigilante group? Did they not have anything better to do? Why were they even targeting the Thieves anyway? It's not like they were active in any English speaking countries… And the ego from these anonymous idiots just pissed Goro off even more… 'We will eliminate evil'? Big talk from a group threatening to destroy an entire country.</p><p>Letting out yet another irritated huff, he'd lost track of how many that was today, he slid his phone back into his pocket and looked up. However what he wasn't expecting to see as he lifted his gaze… was Ren. Ren and his group of friends casually wandering through the station. Despite his nerves, Goro couldn't help but call out to him.</p><p>"Ren…?"</p><p>The raven haired boy in question froze at his voice, flinching so violently he nearly dropped the box of sushi in his hand. Ryuji stared at Goro with a hostile scowl, while the others shot him judging glances. The detective couldn't help but notice that they subtly positioned themselves between him and Ren.</p><p>"What do you want?" Ryuji demanded, keeping his suspicions glare on Goro.</p><p>"Nothing, really… I was just surprised to see you here. So, um, have you guys been out somewhere?" Goro awkwardly replied, trying to make light conversation.</p><p>"We just went out for sushi to celebrate the start of Summer vacation." Makoto hurriedly replied before Ryuji had the chance to.</p><p>"Well, at least before we have to listen to the principal go on and on about behaving ourselves over the Summer…" Ann muttered with an annoyed pout.</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Every Shujin student has been called into school tomorrow for an emergency assembly. It's basically just so the Principal can tell us not to cause trouble or cause any scandals or say anything about the Phantom Thieves over the holidays…" Explained Ren, clearly not thrilled about the obligation.</p><p>"Ahh… I see… So, just a waste of a morning, then?" Remarked Goro. An awkward silence fell over the group again. Ren was still avoiding eye contact with Goro. The chestnut haired boy noticed Yusuke subtly shuffle over to Ren and comfortingly place his hand on Ren's shoulder. Goro felt that weird, tight feeling in his chest again.</p><p>"Oh, by the way… Speaking of the Phantom Thieves, have you seen the new post by Medjed? They've supposedly declared war on the Phantom Thieves." He spoke up again, desperate to distract himself from that unpleasant feeling. The whole group's eyes widened at that news as both Ann and Ryuji pulled out their phones and began frantically typing.</p><p>… That was odd.</p><p>"For real?!"</p><p>"Are you serious?!"</p><p>"Aww, English again!"</p><p>"Hold on…" Ann muttered thoughtfully as she read through the message. "Wait, what?!"</p><p>"What's it say?!"</p><p>"Hm? Why are you so agitated?" Goro asked with a curious tilt of his head. The entire group tensed up.</p><p>"Uhhh, she's a huge fan of the Phantom Thieves! Like, a total nutjob for 'em!" Ryuji hurriedly replied.</p><p>… That was also odd.</p><p>"Ah… Well, I suppose they are extremely popular with people in our age group…" Goro murmured with a suspicious glance. As he was about to question the group, his phone buzzed in his pocket once again. He sighed in annoyance as he checked the notification. It was exactly who he thought it was.</p><p>"Okay, Sae-san, I get it already… I'm on my way…" He muttered with a click of his tongue as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.</p><p>"Nee-san…?" Makoto repeated.</p><p>"Yes… She asked me to help her with something and has been telling me to hurry up ever since…" Goro explained, shaking his head as he spoke. "Well, if I don't want to annoy her any further, I suppose I should get going now… Have a good night. And Ren, would you be able to let Sojiro know that I'll probably be home late tonight, please?"</p><p>"... Sure." Was Ren's quiet reply.</p><p>Goro grimaced.</p><p>Ren had shut himself off again. He was acting the way he was when he first came to Tokyo… And it was all Goro's fault. A shameful frown enveloped the detective's face as he looked down at the tiled floor.</p><p>"Thank you. Stay safe, all of you. Bye." Was his simple goodbye as he walked away. Walking through the station to his required platform, Goro heard plenty of people talking about him and praising him. But he didn't care. Their opinions were worthless to him. Because at the end of the day, the main person he wanted to like him… was Ren.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"Sae-san… I really don't think we're going to find any more meaningful information… I mean, the declaration of war was only posted a few hours ago; the Phantom Thieves won't have had a chance to retaliate yet…" Goro huffed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in irritation as Sae kept pushing and pushing for more investigations.</p><p>"All the more reason to strike now! We've had the Phantom Thieves making us look like fools since Spring! We don't need Medjed jumping into the ring!" Sae argued, slamming her hand against the desk.</p><p>"Isn't exactly difficult to make the police force look like fools, though…" Goro muttered under his breath as he began reorganising his case files.</p><p>"You say something, Akechi?"</p><p>"Nothing at all…"</p><p>As the teenage detective assembled his evidence and slotted them into their respective folders, his phone rang. The screen displayed the name 'Sojiro'. Huh. Sojiro rarely called Goro… He usually texted.</p><p>"Do you mind if I take this?" The chestnut haired boy requested.</p><p>"Go ahead…" Huffed Sae as she scanned her eyes across all of the information again. Goro politely excused himself and exited the room. He found a quiet corner of the hallway where no one would be distracted before answering the call.</p><p>"Hey, Sojiro. Is everything alright?"</p><p>"Hey, kiddo. Yeah, everything's fine. It's just something happened that you should know about."</p><p>Goro would be lying if he said that that single sentence didn't make him nervous.</p><p>"O… Kay…?"</p><p>"It's all been sorted out but you'll still probably freak out."</p><p>"... What is it?"</p><p>"Ren and his friends know all about Futaba now."</p><p>"WHAT?!"</p><p>Goro shocked himself with his volume, quickly leaning around the corner and apologising to the passersby that he'd startled.</p><p>"Wh-What do you mean 'they know'? How did they find out? What happened?" Goro spluttered, each and every question he had spewing out of his mouth.</p><p>"Calm down, calm down."</p><p>"Okay… Okay… What happened?"</p><p>"I was out at the shop, buying groceries when it happened. Ren and his friends came round our house to give me some leftover sushi they had from their meal at the restaurant. But when they got there, the lights were off, the door was unlocked and the TV was on, so they thought I had passed out and came in check on me. That's when the power suddenly went out and made them jump. They bumped into Futaba."</p><p>"Futaba came out of her room?!"</p><p>"I think she got spooked by the sudden power outage… Heh… Got more spooked by those kids, though 'cause after she saw 'em she went running straight back to her room."</p><p>Goro couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of that scenario.</p><p>"Anyway, that's when I came back and they explained the situation to me. They wanted to apologise to Futaba for scaring her so I told them that wasn't the best idea which confused them…"</p><p>"So you explained everything to them."</p><p>"Exactly… Uh… I had to tell them a bit about you too for everything to make sense… I hope I didn't overstep…"</p><p>"No, it's fine. If that's what's needed for them to understand and leave Futaba be, I'm okay with it."</p><p>"Okay, that's good to hear… Although, it was kinda weird when I found them in the house…"</p><p>"How so?"</p><p>"Well, I mean, the first thing I saw was that Niijima girl clinging to Ren's thigh-"</p><p>"SHE WHAT?!"</p><p>Goro once again had to apologise to everyone in the area for raising his voice. He cleared his throat before returning to the conversation. He could have sworn he heard Sojiro laughing to himself.</p><p>"Why the hell was she doing that?! I mean, why were those two so close?! Where was everyone else?! Why didn't they pry them apart?! Why…"</p><p>Goro fell silent. No way… There was no way, right? Those two… They weren't… dating, were they? No… Ren wouldn't date someone who stalked him… But, then again he did befriend her… God, why did thinking about this have to make Goro's chest feel so tight?! He hated this feeling so much!</p><p>"Why've you gone so quiet? You wanted to be the one clutching onto Ren's thigh or something?"</p><p>Goro choked on his own saliva at that question.</p><p>"What?! No! Where'd that come from?!"</p><p>"Well, I mean, you've got a crush on him, right?"</p><p>"No! Why would you think that?!"</p><p>"It's pretty damn obvious, kid…"</p><p>Goro's brain stopped functioning for a few minutes as he heard Sojiro laughing at him. As the middle aged man's laughter calmed down, he spoke again.</p><p>"Speaking of Ren… Have you apologised to him yet?"</p><p>A shameful frown appeared on Goro's face.</p><p>"Not yet…"</p><p>"Well, you should do that. Better sooner than later. I mean, we both know that you're emotionally inept-"</p><p>"Hey-"</p><p>"So you should do it before it becomes too awkward to talk about it."</p><p>Goro let out a stressed sigh. Sojiro was right… Of course, he was right… It was just…</p><p>"I don't… really know what I should say…" He admitted bashfully.</p><p>"Just explain to him why you acted the way you did and apologise for your behaviour and how it affected him."</p><p>Goro sighed again. Sojiro always knew what to say…</p><p>"Well, did that help?"</p><p>"Yeah, it did. Thanks, Sojiro. I'll apologise to Ren the next time I see him."</p><p>He heard Sojiro let out a relieved chuckle through the receiver before it went quiet for a little while. Sojiro eventually spoke up again in a soft tone.</p><p>"Alright… You know… Nevermind. It's nothing."</p><p>Goro hummed curiously. Sojiro wasn't usually one to cut himself off in the middle of a sentence.</p><p>"No, no, it's fine. What did you want to say?"</p><p>"... I really do care about you kids, you know that, right?"</p><p>Those heartfelt words caught Goro off guard. Why did Sojiro sound… scared?</p><p>"W-Well, yeah, of course I do, you don't really hide it. Where's this coming from, though? Is there something wrong, Sojiro?"</p><p>A stressed huff echoed through the receiver as Sojiro debated whether to tell Goro or not. In the end, he decided it was best for Goro to know the truth.</p><p>"I… I basically got blackmailed into giving a prosecutor information about Wakaba's research… She said if I didn't, she'd revoke my guardian rights…"</p><p>"Wh-What?! Who the hell-?!"</p><p>"It was that Niijima lady."</p><p>Goro's mind went blank.</p><p>"S-Sae-san…?"</p><p>"I really don't want to lose you two… I'm not letting you go back to that kind of life."</p><p>"R-Right…"</p><p>"You okay? There's been a lot of crazy information dumped on you… You holding up?"</p><p>"Y-Yeah… I… I'm fine…"</p><p>"You don't sound fine… If you're feeling overwhelmed, you should come home and rest. We could share that sushi Ren brought back."</p><p>"Yeah… I might…"</p><p>"Alright, kid. I'll see you in a bit, then."</p><p>"Yeah…"</p><p>"I'll have a cup of coffee waiting for you."</p><p>"Thanks…"</p><p>Goro's mind was racing long after Sojiro hung up. Sae-san… tried to have him and Futaba taken away from Sojiro… all for some damn information?! Goro's dangerous temper was making its reappearance so soon after his last outburst. No… No, he was in public. He was the 'Detective Prince' here. He had to calm down. He had to stay calm. Taking a deep breath, Goro hid his inner raging storm behind a serene smile before returning to the desk he was working at and hurriedly packing up his materials. Sae watched him in confusion.</p><p>"What's the rush?" She asked as Goro crammed everything into his case.</p><p>"An urgent matter came up so I'm afraid I have to go. Have a good night… Niijima-san." He excused himself with a pleasant smile and a venomous tone before storming out of the room, not even turning back to see the bewilderment on Sae's face.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>An exhausted yawn left Goro's mouth as he stepped out of Yongen-Jaya station into the sleepy streets. It was midday and the heat was clearly sapping everyone of their energy. Goro himself felt drained, thanks to all of the work he had to do. Luckily, he managed to get himself excused early. I mean, sure, he was a prodigy detective, but he was a teenager as well… Believe it or not, he wanted to be able to actually act like a teenager sometimes… And now he was gonna do just that: Go home and pass out on his bed for a few hours before getting some snacks and watching TV. The perfectly Summer vacation in his eyes.</p><p>The chestnut haired boy sighed in relief as he entered his home, sliding off his shoes and placing them in the nearby shelf. He huffed tiredly as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. He'd never liked hot weather… As he picked his briefcase back up, he heard voices.</p><p>"Candidate Found. Searching for route to destination."</p><p>What? What kind of apps was Futaba looking at now? Goro frowned in confusion as he slowly made his way up the stairs.</p><p>"Yes, that was plenty. You haven't forgotten your promise about helping us once we take care of your request, have you?" A girl's voice asked. A familiar voice… but a voice that wasn't Futaba's… Anxiety shot through Goro as he neared the top of the stairs. Who…?</p><p>"Well then. Let's hurry up and go. Aaaaaand clicky." A boy's voice spoke as Goro turned the corner. He discovered Ren and his usual group stood outside Futaba's bedroom door. His eyes widened in shock.</p><p>"What the hell are you doing in my house?!" He screeched as he rushed over to confront them. The rest of the group looked at him with panicked expressions. As he approached, a strange sensation washed over him. The scenery around him seemed to warp.</p><p>"Wh-What's-?!" He closed his eyes as the strange visions became a little too much for him. A few seconds later, he felt a burning sensation on his feet. This prompted him to open his eyes again… Only to be greeted by the sight of a desert. His brain felt as if it was going to explode from the sheer amount of questions he had.</p><p>"It's a desert." Yusuke remarked nonchalantly as his scanned his eyes across the landscape.</p><p>"Yeah, we can see that." Ryuji rolled his eyes before apparently realising something. "Wait, what the- Our clothes are still the same?"</p><p>"Futaba herself asked us to steal her heart. It'd be odd if she saw us as a threat. If she doesn't see us as an enemy, then our clothes don't change. That's how it works." A small cat-like creature muttered. What the hell was that thing?! Where did it come from?! As Goro stared at it in disbelief, the creature leaped indignantly and glared at Ryuji. "But more importantly, I told you to be cautious! Why'd you activate it like that?!"</p><p>"Is that why we ended up in a desert? Where's the tomb? It's so damn hot here."</p><p>"Even though we entered right in front of her room, we didn't end up inside it." Ann murmured thoughtfully.</p><p>"She must really want to keep people away from her." Makoto replied.</p><p>"I see…"</p><p>"Uh… Guys? I think we're forgetting about the most important thing here…" Ren awkwardly pointed at Goro who was currently stewing in all of his unanswered questions.</p><p>"Oh crap, right, he came in here too…"</p><p>"Crap!"</p><p>"Seems we'll be arrested then…"</p><p>"Not helping, Fox!"</p><p>Ann leaned forward, nervously glancing at the strange look in Goro's eyes.</p><p>"You, uh… You doing okay there…?"</p><p>Goro snapped.</p><p>"What is this?! Where are we?! What the hell's going on?! Where'd my home go?! Where's Futaba?! Is she okay?! What is this demon cat?! Why is it talking?! What the hell do you mean that Futaba asked you to change her heart?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!?!"</p><p>The chestnut haired boy gasped for breath after releasing everything that had been bubbling within him for the past few minutes. The group stood there, staring at Goro with wide eyes.</p><p>"... Damn." Was all Ryuji said.</p><p>"I believe he may be a little confused."</p><p>"You think?"</p><p>Ren awkwardly glanced off to the side as he tried to find the answers that Goro was looking for. A bright glint of gold caught his eye. As he took a closer look, it seemed to be a triangular point. Perhaps…</p><p>"I think that might be the tomb over there. Perhaps we should explain everything on the way there?" The raven haired boy suggested, trying his best to ignore his sweat soaked shirt clinging uncomfortably to his back. The rest of the group followed his gaze. Makoto nodded in agreement.</p><p>"Yeah, that's probably the best idea. Morgana?"</p><p>"Leave it to me!" The cat creature snickered as it leapt into the air. A puff of smoke consumed it. A bus landed on the sand where the cat stood.</p><p>"WHAT THE FU-?!"</p><p>"We'll explain, okay?! Just get in!"</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Goro sat in the back of the van, next to Ren, in a slightly dazed state. The sheer amount of information that had been dumped on him was insane. So, as it turned out, Ren and his friends were the infamous Phantom Thieves that Goro had been searching for since April. And the reason they had been looking into Futaba was because Ren's phone was hacked by an account named Alibaba who made the proposition of taking care of Medjed if the Thieves changed the heart of Futaba Sakura. Goro didn't know how to feel. He was glad that Futaba had reached out to someone for help, but… Why not him? Was he… not good enough to help her? Now that he thought about it, he hadn't really been able to help her in the years since Wakaba's death. It… made him feel rather useless…</p><p>A sad chuckle left his mouth as the van pulled up in front of the large pyramid. "To think the Phantom Thieves had been so close to me all this time… I'm a pretty lousy detective, huh?"</p><p>"I don't think so. I mean you've been more concerned about Futaba-chan, right? You can't really solve mysteries when your mind's somewhere else." Ann commented, trying to make Goro feel better as the group exited the van, which quickly transformed back into his thief form.</p><p>"Either way, ain't it better if we send this guy home before going in?" Asked Ryuji.</p><p>"Hell no! I'm coming with you! This is Futaba's distorted heart, right? I need to help her, she's all I have left!" Goro refused. This was just like Wakaba's research! All he had to do was remove the core of the world, right?! Futaba would go back to normal if he did that, right?!</p><p>The thieves glanced at him with sympathetic gazes.</p><p>"Be that as it may, we don't really have any reasons to trust you. You are a detective pursuing us, after all." Yusuke bluntly informed him. Goro glared at him with a determination.</p><p>"Not now, I'm not. I'm just a boy who wants to save his little sister."</p><p>"So… You won't report us?"</p><p>"Not if you save Futaba, I won't. But I am coming too and I am not taking no for an answer."</p><p>"It's not about that… You can't protect yourself in this world; you don't have a persona…" Morgana huffed. The stubborn types were always the most difficult to handle…</p><p>"But… I doubt Futaba would get violent against her own brother…?" Ren remarked with a thoughtful expression.</p><p>"That's… true…"</p><p>"What do you think, Joker? It's your call."</p><p>Ren stared deep into Goro's eyes. He could see the sheer desperation the chestnut haired boy felt to save Futaba from her distorted desires. He was still a little on edge from their confrontation… But after hearing about their past and seeing the state of Futaba's heart, he could understand why Goro acted the way he did. He was a textbook protective big bro.</p><p>"I don't see the harm in him tagging along." Was his answer. A delighted smile enveloped Goro's face at those words.</p><p>"Thank you…! I won't get in your way, I promise!"</p><p>"Now that's been settled, can we head inside now, please? I'm meltin' over here…" Ryuji pleaded exhaustedly as sweat poured down his chin.</p><p>"Right, good idea… Let's move!"</p><p>"Right!"</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The interior of the pyramid definitely felt like it had been created by Futaba. The hyrogliphics along the walls reminded him of Futaba's fascination about the Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology. He kept seeing bright green glimpses of computer coding, Morse code and QR codes flashing around in the air. Just the sight of them made him picture Futaba sitting at her computer, typing away as she worked on one of her many, many cryptic projects. Although, the entire place felt so bleak and lifeless… It worried Goro. But the main thing everyone noticed was the drop in temperature. A cold, refreshing breeze blew through the pyramid as the thieves entered. The entire group sighed in relief as they were cooled down after being baked outside. Ren glanced up at the large single staircase that towered in front of them.</p><p>"Well, looks like there's only one way to go… Shall we get going?" The leader suggested, unconsciously fiddling with the red gloves that weren't there.</p><p>"Sure thing!"</p><p>"Let's get moving!"</p><p>"Lead the way, Joker!"</p><p>The group began their climb up the stairs which seemed to just keep going and going and going… They ran about halfway when they spotted a girl with a petite frame stood there. She had bright orange hair, freckles all over her cheeks and bright golden eyes while dressed like an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh.</p><p>"Hey, is this…?" Ryuji spoke up curiously.</p><p>"Futaba!" Gasped Goro. So this was her shadow?</p><p>"It's not the real her…" Morgana confirmed Goro's suspicions.</p><p>"So, you're Futaba Sakura." Remarked Makoto.</p><p>"Hey, so, where's the treasure?" Asked Ryuji, eager to fulfill her request as soon as possible.</p><p>Futaba remained silent, staring at the Thieves with tired eyes.</p><p>"It's doubtful that you wouldn't know where it is." Makoto added.</p><p>Futaba remained silent.</p><p>"Hey, say something."</p><p>"Don't be like that!" Ann hissed, elbowing Ryuji in his side. "I'm sorry, Futaba-chan. There's no need to be scared. So, can you tell us where your most treasured possession is?"</p><p>Futaba remained silent.</p><p>"This is going nowhere." Sighed Yusuke, looking down at the ground with a troubled expression.</p><p>"Futaba, please tell us. Look, we all came here to help you. It's just like your mother's research! We just need to take your treasure to save you!" Goro explained, hoping to reach Futaba.</p><p>"Those who plunder my tomb. Why have you come?" The shadow finally spoke up with a hostile tone.</p><p>"She talked… but…"</p><p>"What're you sayin'? You want us to steal it, right?" Ryuji asked with a baffled scowl.</p><p>"If you believe you can steal it, then try as you might." Spat the shadow.</p><p>"That's rather defiant sounding…" Muttered Morgana, starting to get a bit of a bad feeling.</p><p>"Perhaps this is that 'tsundere' thing where someone is sweet or harsh depending on the mood." Suggested Yusuke.</p><p>"I don't think you know what a tsundere is…" Mumbled Ren.</p><p>"Considering the state that my palace is in… There is no way that you can steal it." The Shadow declared.</p><p>"Wh-?"</p><p>As Ren was about to question her on what she meant, strange voices began echoing through the walls.</p><p>
  <em>"Creepy child…"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You killed her!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You're a plague!"</em>
</p><p>Goro's eyes widened and a nervous sweat dripped down his chin as he recognised those voices.</p><p>"What are these voices?" Asked Yusuke as the rest of the group glanced around, searching for a source of the voices. Futaba herself collapsed onto the ground, clutching onto her head as the voices continued.</p><p>
  <em>"Murderer!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Why don't you say something?!"</em>
</p><p>"Murderer…?" Makoto repeated in confusion.</p><p>
  <em>"You're the one who killed her!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's your fault!"</em>
</p><p>It was at this point that Goro realised his hand was bleeding from his nails digging in too deep while clenched his fists.</p><p>"This is horrible…" Whispered Ann as the voices became louder and louder.</p><p>"Hey, the hell is this?" Ryuji asked, looking to Goro for an explanation.</p><p>
  <em>"Don't come near me!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't just stand there, say something!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's your fault!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Murderer!"</em>
</p><p>Futaba slowly lifted herself off the ground. "... That's right. I did it. I am the one who killed my mother."</p><p>"No! You're not! Listen to me, Futaba! That's nothing but lies!" Goro screeched in protest, his vision going blurry as his eyes filled with tears. As he was about to continue, a horrific, blood curdling scream shook the very foundations of the pyramid.</p><p>"What was that?!" Whimpered Ann as the thieves anxiously glanced around.</p><p>"My mother exists here." Was Futaba's cryptic reply as she softly floated up into the air.</p><p>"What…?!" Gasped Goro.</p><p>"I will remain here. I will do so until I die." Was Futaba's parting words before she disappeared from the group's sight.</p><p>"No! Please don't say things like that! Futaba!" Goro pleaded, chasing after the girl who was no longer there. A bright blue flash returned his attention back to the Thieves. Their school uniforms had been replaced with fancy thief-like costumes.</p><p>"Wh-What the…?"</p><p>"Our clothes…?"</p><p>"She sees us as a threat now… What's going on?!"</p><p>"Dammit, what the hell…?"</p><p>"Futaba…"</p><p>Ren placed his now gloved hand on Goro's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Makoto frowned as she placed her hand on her chin.</p><p>"This is bad - I'm having a hard time getting a grasp of our situation. We should regroup and-"</p><p>A disturbingly loud rumble from the the building cut off Makoto's train of thought as the thieves stared up the stairs.</p><p>"What now?!"</p><p>A giant boulder slammed down on the stairs from the ceilings. The thieves stared at it in terror.</p><p>"Oh crap…! Bad, bad, bad! Ruuuuuuuuun!" Morgana yelped frantically. They didn't need to be told twice! They ran as fast as their legs could carry them down the stairs, trying to ignore the vibrations through the ground that told them the boulder was closing in on them. As they reached the pit, they all flung themselves to the side and let the boulder fly past them, destroying the nearby pillars and making the rubble rain down on the thieves before tumbling down into the firey abyss. They waited until the pyramid was once again completely silent before emerging from their hiding places.</p><p>"Goddamn… I thought I was gonna die…" Ryuji muttered as he and Ann stood up with shaky legs. Ren glanced over at Goro. There were so many conflicting emotions on his face, Ren could barely tell what he was thinking.</p><p>"Goro." He softly called out. Goro looked up at him. The rest of the thieves could help but wince at the helplessness in his eyes.</p><p>"... You holding up okay?"</p><p>"... I'm fine…"</p><p>"You don't look fine, dude…"</p><p>"It's okay to be shaken up after hearing something like that."</p><p>Everyone chimed in, hoping to lift Goro's spirits and give him a little bit of hope. As they spoke, the sound of slamming doors echoed out from behind them. They turned around to find the stairs being locked up into different sections.</p><p>"The hell?!"</p><p>Ryuji, Makoto and Goro rushed forward to investigate the door but were quickly stopped by a large shadow appearing as a guard. Goro stumbled backwards in surprise.</p><p>"You are defiling the Pharaoh's tomb. Leave this place at once." It ordered the thieves.</p><p>"No! I need to save Futaba! Let me through!" Goro protested, pushing himself off the ground and towards the shadow.</p><p>"Leave this place."</p><p>"I'm her brother, dammit! It's my job to save her from this!"</p><p>"You are of no use to the Pharaoh. I will not allow you to curse my queen."</p><p>Goro's eyes shot wide open at those words. No use…? Curse…? Was that… how Futaba saw him…?</p><p>"This is the Pharaoh's tomb. She shall remain here until she dies. This is her penance for her crime."</p><p>"D-Don't say that! She won't die! I won't let her! She didn't commit any crime!"</p><p>"Your thoughts are no concern of mine. I shall make you leave."</p><p>As the shadow stepped forward, the voices echoed through the hollow hallways again.</p><p>
  <em>"Murderer!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You killed her!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's all your fault!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You're a plague!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't come near me!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You're the one who should have died!"</em>
</p><p>The hateful screams were too much for Goro. So this was what Futaba was hearing every day of her life? This was what she was enduring all by herself? That was just too much… too cruel… Futaba was innocent… Futaba was the victim… Why…? Why did they have to pin the blame on her?!</p><p>Tears spilled down from his cheeks as he collapsed onto his knees and covered his ears. "St-Stop it… Please just shut up…"</p><p>"You, who has failed our Pharaoh, repent with your life."</p><p>Goro's blood ran cold.</p><p>"Failed…? Ha… Hahaha… You're right… I really am a failure, aren't I…? Really… I am the worst brother in the world…"</p><p>The shadow raised it's blade.</p><p>Goro closed his eyes.</p><p>"Futaba… I'm so sorry…"</p><p>The shadow swung it's blade down.</p><p>"Akechi!"</p><p>"Move!"</p><p>The sound of clashing metal made Goro open his eyes again. Ren stood in front of him, block the shadow's attack with his dagger. He shoved the shadow away with a fierce kick into it's gut before turning to Goro with stern scowl.</p><p>"You've been fighting to protect her for years, haven't you?!" The raven haired thief barked.</p><p>"Y-Yes…"</p><p>"Then why the hell are you giving up now?!" He demanded. Goro's eyes widened before lowering again in a guilty grimace.</p><p>"B-But… Futaba, she-"</p><p>"Futaba's in pain! She needs you now more than ever! She's only pushing you away because she's scared! Are you really gonna abandon her now?!"</p><p>"O-Of course not! I'd never-!"</p><p>"Then get up and fight! You're gonna save her, aren't you?!"</p><p>Goro's tears dried up. His eyes widened. His mouth fell open. Ren was right… Futaba was all he had… So, of course, he was all Futaba had… It was up to him… If he didn't save Futaba, who would? If he didn't expose the liars that pinned their crimes on a helpless little girl, who would?! A determined scowl washed over Goro's face as he stood back up and glared at the shadow with a newfound resolve.</p><p>"You're right… Futaba's my little sister… She's the reason I've kept going so long… I made it my mission to find the truth of what happened to Wakaba… And I am not going to let anyone, in the real world or cognitive world, stop me! So, get out of my damn way and let me save Futaba!" As he pointed a challenging finger at the shadow, intense pain pulsed through his head.</p><p>"A-Ah…!" He breathlessly gasped as he clutched onto his head. A mystical voice spoke directly into his mind. Goro collapsed to his knees once again as he began writhing and screaming in agony.</p><p>
  <em>"So, you've finally found your own path… You've desperately searched for the answers for so long… You tried to become the noble hero you always dreamed to be… However the path to true justice doesn't always bask in the heaven's light… You've finally reached that conclusion, haven't you? So, tell me… Are you willing to get your hands dirty to reach the goals you seek?"</em>
</p><p>Goro gasped for breath as he gathered his composure and steadied his feet.</p><p>"Why even ask? You already know my answer, don't you?"</p><p>
  <em>"Splendid. Let us form a contract then. I am thou, thou art I. The time has come to steal back everything the false monarchy has stolen from us!"</em>
</p><p>A wild grin spread across Goro's cheeks as a blood red mask appeared on his face. An excited shiver ran down his spine as he grabbed tightly onto the mask, blood still dripping from his injured hand.</p><p>"I look forward to working with you… Robin Hood!"</p><p>With one vicious tug, the mask flew off his face. Blood spurted out like a fountain from his forehead. Bright blue flames enveloped his entire body. The shadow stumbled backwards in alarm, anxiously holding it's blade out in front of itself. The flames died down to reveal Goro and his persona.</p><p>Goro stood there with a triumphant grin brandishing a bright red serrated sword. He wore an ebony Prince's coat adorned with many gold and red ornaments on the chest and shoulders. His trousers were pitch black and skintight. On his feet were pure white boots that reached up to his knees, the soles decorated with gold soles. On his hands were bright red gloves, clashing beautifully with the gold hilt of his sword.</p><p>Behind him was Robin Hood. Everything about this persona screamed hero. It was brave, it was bold, it was bright, it was strong. It was the hero every child had imagined growing up after watching countless shows about justice seeking teenagers. The persona lifted up its bow, aiming directly at the shadow; Goro mimicked it's actions, raising his arms in a similar fashion.</p><p>"Let's give them a show, shall we, Robin Hood?" Goro giggled sweetly, a sadistic glint in his eye as he snapped his fingers. Robin Hood fired an arrow directly into the shadow. The guard spewed a disgusting black liquid as it split into two different demons. This didn't deter Goro in the slightest. He rushed over to the one of the left like a rabid animal, leaping up into the air and swinging his sword down with all his might.</p><p>"Don't think that's gonna save you!" He laughed maniacally as he slammed the blade through the shadow's neck, lopping it's head clean off it's shoulders.</p><p>"Wh-?!"</p><p>"You're next! Kouga!" Goro screamed, sending Robin Hood over to finish off the second shadow, enveloping it in a searing white light until it completely disintegrated.</p><p>The thieves stood in stunned silence as they stared at Goro, grinning like a madman and gasping for breath.</p><p>"Holy shit, dude… You're terrifying…" Ryuji broke the silence with a nervous murmur.</p><p>"That was indeed a rather… disturbing display…" Agreed Yusuke.</p><p>"Thank you!"</p><p>"I… I don't think that was a compliment…" Makoto muttered, unknowingly clinging onto Ann's sleeve like a nervous child.</p><p>"Well, I'm taking it as- one…?" Goro replied as an overwhelming feeling of fatigue washed over him, causing Robin Hood to disappear and his body to flop helplessly onto the floor. "Wh-What the…?"</p><p>Ren walked over with a proud smirk, sliding Goro's arm over his shoulders and helping him up. "This is normal when you awaken to a persona. It puts a huge strain on you both mentally and physically. You'll sleep really, really well tonight, though."</p><p>"Yep! And before you start going 'What about Futaba?! We have to go through the palace!' You won't be of any use in the condition. I think it's best that we retreat for today and formulate a new plan of attack for tomorrow." Morgana explained with a excited swish of his tail. Goro was about to argue, but it really did feel like every last bit of his energy had been sapped away from his body.</p><p>"Alright… If you think that's best course of action…"</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"Here. You need it." Ren spoke up, handing a freezing cold soft drink to the exhausted.</p><p>"Thank you…" Goro murmured, stifling a yawn as he took the bottle and unscrewed the lid, taking a large gulp. After returning to the real world, the thieves decided to head over to the batting cages so they could have a quiet place to discuss the day's events and their plans for the infiltration going forward.</p><p>"But, y'know, the last person I would have thought would awaken to a persona would be you, Akechi-kun…" Ann remarked casually as she picked up her baseball bat, waiting for Ryuji to finish his turn.</p><p>"The detective chasing after the Phantom Thieves gains the same power as them… It's quite the dramatic irony, isn't it? Not that I'm complaining. I find it quite amusing actually." Goro chuckled tiredly as he took another swig of his drink.</p><p>"You don't seem particularly irritated about being indebted to us." Commented Yusuke. Makoto elbowed him in the side.</p><p>"Have some tact!" She hissed out the corner of her mouth.</p><p>"It's fine. Besides, I never really gave a damn about being the Phantom Thieves to justice in the first place." Goro admitted with a lazy wave of his hand. The Thieves in question stared at him in surprise. A baseball whizzed past Ryuji, narrowly missing his stomach.</p><p>"Shit!"</p><p>"You're supposed to watch the ball, Ryuji!"</p><p>"Can it, cat! You can't even hold a baseball bat!"</p><p>"A-Anyway, if you weren't interested in bringing us to justice, why persue in the first place?" Questioned Makoto.</p><p>"I wanted to know how you changed hearts. That's all." The Thieves still looked confused, so Goro continued. "I want to make something abundantly clear: I don't give a single solitary shit about helping the police force or maintaining their reputation. I arrest despicable adults who have committed heinous crimes and I intend to bring down every last one of them. Including those in the police force."</p><p>The Thieves' eyes widened.</p><p>"A-Are you saying that the police are corrupt?" Ren asked, ignoring the slight trembling of his hand. That would make that night make a lot more sense…</p><p>"I thought it was obvious. All of those in higher ranks are in the pockets of the rich. Just mindless drones following orders of the man in charge, the one running the whole operation from the shadows. And I will flush them all out like the rats they are…" Goro growled, his immense contempt for these people evident in his voice.</p><p>"Dude… That's an insult to rats, y'know." Ryuji replied, high fiving Ann as she entered the batting cage. Goro burst out laughing.</p><p>"You're absolutely right! My mistake!"</p><p>"By the way, you wear make up?" Yusuke spoke up, staring at Goro's face through a finger frame. Goro's eye widened in surprise. The rest of the teens glanced over at the chestnut haired boy.</p><p>"How could you tell?"</p><p>"The large amount of sweat seems to have smudged it slightly."</p><p>"Oh…"</p><p>"I've got some make-up wipes in my bag if you wanna clean it off?" Offered Ann as she swung the baseball bat.</p><p>"Oh, thanks."</p><p>Ryuji dug around in Ann's bag before pulling out the packet in question and chucking it over to Goro.</p><p>"Thank you." The detective politely responded as he pulled out a wipe and began cleansing his sweat covered face, the wipe being stained a light skin colour as he scrubbed away. As he finished and threw the dirty wipe into the nearby trashcan, he heard Ren chuckle quietly.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You have freckles." Ren observed, staring intently at Goro's face. This statement caught the attention of everyone else.</p><p>"For real?!"</p><p>"Really?!"</p><p>"Does he?"</p><p>"Lemme see?"</p><p>"I-It's really not that big a deal…" Goro shyly mumbled as the group crowded around him to look at the freckles that dusted his nose and cheeks.</p><p>"Why do you cover them up?" Asked Makoto.</p><p>"The media executives that market my 'Detective Prince' persona said that freckles aren't attractive."</p><p>"Cowards!" Ann called back as she hit another baseball across the batting cage. Ren nodded in agreement. Goro couldn't help but find their enthusiasm over something as simple as freckles rather endearing. As he opened his eyes, he noted the serious expression on Morgana's face.</p><p>"But, still, are you sure you wanna do this? If you join the thieves, you'll have to be careful around all of your colleagues…" The cat warned him of the dangers. Goro smirked back.</p><p>"I made up my mind. And when I make up mind, I never change it."</p><p>"Well, alright then. Welcome to the team, Goro." Ren cheered, gently patting Goro on the back and flashing him a smile that told him all was forgiven.</p><p>"I'm sure you'll be a valuable addition to the team." Makoto assured him with a sweet smile.</p><p>"Indeed, he was a rather potent force in battle." Yusuke agreed as he quietly muched his way through his third pack of Jagariko.</p><p>"I'll admit it was rather exilerating to watch the fear flash through the shadows' eyes…" Murmured Goro as a small grin wormed its way onto his face.</p><p>"O-Oh… You're… one of those… Okay…" Ryuji awkwardly laughed with a nervous smile as he shuffled past Goro and sat next to Ren.</p><p>"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this, though?" Ren asked, wanting to make sure before they made a decision they regretted. Goro nodded.</p><p>"I've been searching for a way to save Futaba for so long… And now I have it. I'm not turning back now."</p><p>Ren nodded back understandingly. An immense wave of emotion washed over Goro as the realisation hit him. He was really able to save Futaba from her distorted desires… It was really a possibility that he might see her face again… It was really a possibility that the two of them could do typical dumb sibling things together again… That hope became overwhelming for Goro as he wrapped his arms tightly around Ren.</p><p>"Whoa! Okay! Wha-?!" The raven haired boy gasped in surprise at the sudden hug, almost spilling his drink.</p><p>"Thank you… for giving me the chance to save my sister… Thank you so much…" Whispered Goro, burying his face deep into Ren's shoulder to hide the tears running down his cheeks. The entire group stared at him in surprise before smiling softly at him. To think the ever so charismatic detective was such a loving older brother…</p><p>Ren wrapped his arms Goro, reciprocating the hug and gently rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe him.</p><p>"You don't need to thank me… We're all gonna save Futaba together… Right, guys?"</p><p>"Right!"</p>
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